News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-07
A LESSON IN LIFE.
The Cost of Smoking Very Faitl
fully Shown.

To preach to a smoker about the hurt
| fulness of using tobacco, is like trying
to dip water with II sieve; but L have
! always noticed that, when all other
arguments have failed, there is one
which will tell on the most obdurate.
Begin to talk money, and if the hearers
purse is likely to be affected, you will
see his mouth open and his eyes begin
to sparkle with excitement, and for this
reason l will show the cost of smoking
for five years, from which the cost of a
lifetime may be easily reckoned. We
will say that a young man begins to
smoke when he is sixteen, and on an
average smokes two cigars per day
(Which is a low estimate), and continues
until he is twenty-one. Now let us
reckon the cost. For the first year he
smokes two per day, at IL cost of ten
cents each, making for Il year the sum
of 1913. Now, if instead of spending
this money he had put it at interest at
the end of the first year, during the next
year at SIX per cent. it would have
gained $4.3S, which, together with the
$73, which he would smoke up, would
give him at the end of the second year
$3.50. .3S-which again put at interest,
together with the 1878 for this year,
would amount to the neat little sum of
$232. 40 at the end of the third year.
Again getting the amount and adding
$73 for another year, the whole amount
is swelled to 1919. 81, which he puts at
interest at the beginning of the fifth
year. By reckoning up his bank ac-
count at the expiration of the five years,
ho r., f,n1 |, nif II
cost him the round sum of $411. .50-and
this is not all. Smoking as well as chew
ing creates thirst which must be
satiated. For time water may do, but
the smoker will soon find that the terri
bic craving for drink cannot be satisfied
with water, and therefore to ''set himself
to rights" he must have glass OF two
of cider and perhaps something
stronger. No less than two glasses for
each cigar will answer for which he will
pay five cents each, making another
twenty cents per day which he will
drink, which at the end of the five years
will amount to another $ll1. making
i'll all $S23-a nice little capital for
young man just starting out i'll life. |
suppose that all can say about the filth
ness and other Inconvenience of their
habit will be words thrown away, but
after considering this subject, feel as
though L could not lazy down the pen
without saying few more words to
those who have fallen victims to it. Hay
ing occasion to go down to the village
store on stormy day, as | entered, my
nose, mouth, throat and lungs were
filled with tobacco smoke. The shock
which 1t gave me was SO great that
game near being sick, and could not rel
ish my food for several days afterwards,
while the sickcning scent of rank tobacco
chung about my clothes for Il long time.
Now if, besides losing their time, these
mon could be made to understand what
beasts they were making of themselves,
and how they were cIouding their brains
and darkening their intellects with every
puff they took, while every particle of
air which they inhale WAS mingled with
the poisonous fumes of poor tobacco,
and every cent of money they paid out
for the weed was just so muo!- paid out
to insure a shortening of the number OF
their days, they would throw aide the
pipe and hasten homo, and there set
themselves about their busincss.-C0ml-
try Gentleman.